


Pirate Gold

by ursadane



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, Pirate AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-07
Updated: 2015-03-11
Packaged: 2018-03-16 18:51:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3499139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ursadane/pseuds/ursadane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico di Angelo, the Ghost Captain, finds a stowaway aboard his ship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The wind picked up as the Ghost Captain trudged down the dock, cursing the icy ocean spray as it whipped across his face. He tugged his coat tighter and hurried up the gang plank of his ship, _Moros_. As he stepped aboard, the Skeleton Crew rushed to their stations prepping the vessel for its departure. Soon they were miles out on open ocean, the sky above dark, swollen, and churning. The Ghost Captain stood in his quarters quietly contemplating the charts spread over the massive table in the center of the room. His eyes scoured exotic coastlines as he plotted routes and destinations.

"I can sense your heartbeat, you know."

There was a clatter as several trunks toppled over and a mop with arms and legs fell out from behind them. The Ghost Captain glanced over at the mop and saw it was actually a bright-faced youth who looked like he hadn’t seen a good meal a day in his life. The boy immediately jumped up and began scrambling to move the trunks back into place.

“Don’t bother with those. I can always have your skeleton fix them later. Now why are you on my ship?"

The boy’s face turned bone-white and he spoke with an earnest urgency.

“I, I know who you are. I’ve heard all the stories and I…I've had dreams."

Captain Nico Di Angelo, the most feared pirate in waters mortal and divine, appraised this malnourished stowaway he had first sensed the moment his foot met the deck of his ship.

“Tell me about these dreams."

“I’ve seen you. Your ship, Your crew. I’ve seen the places you’ve been over the last month. I’ve seen where you might be going…"

“What have you seen?"

“You’re hunting the Megalodon.”

Nico said nothing for several seconds.

“How did you get aboard?

“I…I can manipulate light…I just caught the sunset at the right moment so no one could see me even if they were looking my way."

“And what do you know about the shark?"

“I know i wake up sweating every night, the moment after I see it….swimming toward me.”

"And you think these dreams are prophetic?"

“I…I don’t know."

“I see." There was a long silence, Nico still standing over the stick figure stowaway, examining him, feeling out his life force, gauging it, monitoring for any signs of hostility or deception. The boy finally spoke in a faint mumble.

“I just…thought if I am in danger from this thing, the safest place to be is with the guy hunting it. Especially when it’s…well…a guy like you."

Nico frowned.

“What do you mean?"

“I…You’re just…I think you’re incredible! I know everyone is terrified of you, but…I don’t know.. I just think they’re wrong, I don’t think you’re scary; you’re just powerful!"

Nico Di Angelo, the Ghost Captain, was taken by surprise. His brain stumbled and tripped over itself as he saw the genuine admiration glowing in the stowaway’s bright blue eyes.

“I…You…Why should I let you stay on my ship?"

“I could…swab the decks? I’ve heard people say that. Don’t you need a cabin boy or something? Do you have one already? I do know some first aid!"

“I…why would I need…My crew are skeletons!"

“Oh, right…"

“I think you should probably just go ashore when we next make port. If you just stay on land, how can a shark, even a mythical monster shark, come after you?"

“I guess that makes sense…but…what if-

“No."

“What if-"

“JUST STAY ON LAND."

The boy’s eyes fell and his head drooped to his chest in defeat. Nico turned and started to study his maps again, a bit too intently.

“I just…wanted to be a pirate."

 _UGH_. The groan in Nico’s head quickly becomes the throbbing promise of a migraine.

“From my dreams, I just thought…"

“Stop."

The boy looked like he might cry.

“Get out of my quarters."

The first tear fell, a second one streaming down quickly in pursuit.

“Tell one of the skeletons to show you how to swab the deck."

The boy looked up, eyes overflowing.

“I…"

“I’m pretty sure your Captain just gave you an order." The boy ran clumsily for the door, but paused just before leaving.

“Don’t you want to know my name?"

 _Great_. Nico sighed. “Fine."

“I’m Will. Will Solace.”


	2. Safety First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico discovers his stowaway has an usual, though admittedly useful talent.

_Moros_ had been at sea for 13 days. They were moving north, the temperature seeming to drop more with every sunset.  It was unusual, having another living person aboard. Nico was used to sailing alone with his skeleton crew. He had found he preferred their company to that of the living. They were obedient and efficient workers, they made little noise (save for the occasional clatter of bone on wood), and most importantly, they didn’t constantly ask Nico questions.

Right on cue, Will emerged from below deck, and half-jogged over to the helm where Nico stood, gazing out over the ship across the open water.

“Captain!”

Nico pretended not to hear him, and quickly pulled out his compass so he’d have an excuse not to look in Will’s direction. The stowaway was right beside him now, apparently oblivious to any of Nico’s attempts to ignore him.

“Captain?”

Nico sighed and closed his compass. He answered with the same bored tone he had answered all of Will’s questions with since the beginning of their voyage.

“What?”

He wondered what it would be this time. The first few days Will was aboard, the boy had asked about every aspect of sailing, had asked about every part of the ship, about the jobs of each and every crewman, about navigation, supply rationing, the size and weight of the cannons and why they had been selected over others, and of course, he had fired off a barrage of questions on top of questions about Nico’s crew. _Where did they come from? Do they have minds of their own? Are they slaves? What happens if they get knocked apart? Do they need to eat or sleep? When did Nico first learn he could summon and command undead minions? Did Nico think his powers were evil?_ The Ghost Captain felt the first lightning surges of a migraine begin just at the memory of Will’s ongoing interrogation. He closed his eyes tight, and then slowly opened them only to find Will’s face no more than a foot away from his own.

“Are you okay, Captain?”

Nico took a step back. “I’m fine. Did you need something?”

“Well…It’s just…”

_This boy is insufferable._ “Spit it out.”

“I just…I wondered if we should be taking any precautions against the cold.”

Nico frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Well, just, that the sun is gonna set soon, and the nights have been getting dangerously cold.”

“My crew doesn’t mind.”

“Right. Yeah. I mean, I guess I figured. I just–”

Nico turned to look at Will, staring hard into those brilliantly blue eyes.

“Well…I mean…Do _you_ mind?”

_What?_ The Ghost Captain’s eyes narrowed.“What?”

“The cold. Do you mind the cold? I just thought, well, you’re not a skeleton, so maybe you’ve been getting cold these past few nights.”

“I–” Nico had no idea what to say. “I’ve always been cold. I’m used to it.”

“Oh…”

Neither of them spoke for several minutes. Nico pulled out his compass again, although he still had no reason to consult it, much less change course. He moved toward the helm all the same, the sturdiness of it, the connection it formed between him and his ship calming him. Soon his migraine had retreated and he had nearly forgotten the awkward moment with the awkward boy he should have never agreed to keep on board.

“…I’ve been getting cold, you know.”

Nico’s eyes darted sideways toward will, but he kept his head facing the ocean.

“There should be….blankets…somewhere below deck.”

“Yeah. Yeah there are a couple. It’s just…well it’s only going to get colder and well…sharing body warmth is really…..it’s…it’s the best way to make sure we don’t get hypothermia!”

“….I’m….not worried about getting hypothermia.”

“Well I’m worried about you. About it. Hypothermia.”

Nico stiffened. “I don’t…”

“I’m just saying, maybe…maybe if you get too cold tonight, we can share a bunk. Just…for safety.”

“Right. Well. You should…go swab something.”

Will looked disappointed but he gave a half-hearted “Aye, Captain” and returned to his chores.

An hour or so later, the sun began to sink beneath the horizon, and the air turned razor sharp. A light storm was brewing and the ocean spray burned like acid on Nico and Will’s exposed skin. Soon they were both soaking wet and shivering. The skeleton crew went about their duties normally, but it quickly became evident the two living crew members would not be able to stay above deck for much longer. Nico retreated to his quarters, noticing for the first time just how empty and drafty they were. He stripped out of his wet clothes, pulling on some dry but loose-fitting sleeping clothes. He got into his bed and tried to bundle his blankets as tightly as possible around his small frame. However, he was soon shivering just as much as he had been in the freezing rain. Just when his teeth were beginning to chatter, he sensed a beating heart approaching his door. There was a knock.

“C-cc-ccc-ccome i-in”

The door opened and Will hurried inside.

“Ww-wwha—what-t-isit-t-t?

Will too had been wrapped in several heavy blankets, but hearing Nico’s chattering voice, he let them drop and moved quickly to the bedside.

“You’re freezing!” Will had found one of Nico’s hands within his cocoon, and was desperately squeezing and rubbing it between both of his own.

“I-I’m fine-ne.” Nico poured every ounce of his willpower into keeping his jaw still.  “W-What’re you d-doing?”

Will was undoing all of Nico’s careful bundling, pulling the blankets away enough for him to slip into the bed next to Nico”

“H-hey!” Nico started to get up, but was shocked at just how warm Will’s body really was. He was still half-struggling to get away from this intruder, but his resolve was breaking with every wave of relief that swept through his aching muscles and bones as the boy pressed closer against him.

And then, he wasn’t wriggling anymore. He wasn’t trying to push Will away, wasn’t even trying to come up with a threat serious enough to get the boy to leave. Instead, he let himself be pulled into what was essentially a prone bear hug. He couldn’t believe how warm this boy was. It wasn’t normal body heat. Nico’s senses picked up on something else, something….magical.

Lying there in Will’s arms was like lounging in the grass on a sunny summer day. That was it. That was what the warmth felt like. Sunlight. This boy was radiated sunlight. Nico opened his eyes and saw his guess was spot on. Even in the dark captain’s quarters, under piles of blankets, Nico could see. Will was actually giving off a soft warm glow.

Will opened his eyes, and looked down at Nico.

“I told you. Best way to stay warm.”

Nico looked into Will’s blue, blue eyes.

“I guess…this is better than being cold.”


	3. More Midnight Musings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will's snoring wakes Nico.

_Of course he snores._

Nico di Angelo stared up at the ceiling as he gathered his waking thoughts. Will was still beside him in bed, his mouth hanging open and emitting a sound like a lion with a cough. Nico considered getting dressed, but it was still the middle of the night and he could already feel the chill creeping back into his limbs that were outside of their pile of sheets and blankets. He glanced over at Will, studying more closely (now that he had a chance) the glowing aura surrounding his head and shoulders, leaking out from beneath the bedding. As someone who could raise skeletons and corpses to do his bidding, Nico was not intimidated by the supernatural, but he had never before encountered anything quite like this boy.

He begrudgingly moved closer to Will in the bed. Everywhere the boy's body pressed against him, he felt soothing warmth spread through his own flesh. The sensation was overwhelmingly pleasant, and soon Nico realized that he had been gradually shifting and that he was now curled tightly against Will's chest. His face contorted with self-loathing but he did not pull away. 

Will's snoring continued and Nico knew he had no chance of getting any more sleep until it was stopped. As Will let out a particularly loud snarl, Nico rolled slightly so that one of his elbows made firm contact with Will's ribcage. 

"Oooof!" Will's eyes popped open just as Nico was closing his, pretending he was still asleep. Nico heard Will mutter something about a dog and a haiku, but continued to lay quietly. "Are you awake?"

Even the breath that carried Will's whisper felt like a summer breeze. Nico said nothing but turned more and settled with his body facing away from Will. There was silence for what could have been mere seconds or whole minutes.

"Goodnight, Captain"

Nico felt Will's arm reach and encircle him, pulling him closer and giving his shoulder a quick squeeze. They were spooning now, but Nico made no effort to move. He listened to Will's breathing get slower, feeling each exhale caress the back of his neck. 

_Gods, what's happening to me?_ were the last words to run through the Ghost Captain's head before he fell into a deep slumber, dreaming of summer rainstorms and sun-warmed sand between his toes. 


End file.
